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Worth it as the price is good but don't expect it to last too long

My 2 and 3 year old boys got this as one of their presents when their baby brother was born. They tend to love any transport toys and this was no different. My 2 year old in particular became really attached to it, although it is recommended on the packaging that it is for age 3+ and the reason for that is due to small parts.

I can understand that recommendation as some of the small parts do actually come off if handled roughly, so if it is given to a younger child you will have to keep an eye on them with it.

This is part of the Early Learning Centre 'Big City' range but you do not have to have any of the other items to enjoy this, it is absolutely fine on its own. In fact we do have a 'Big City' fold out car parking lot play set and this bus is much to big to be used together with that, so I am not sure how compatible all of the range is.

This bus is a replica of the 'bendy buses' that have now been phased out in London but used to run on many routes like the 29 and 73, so now that they are no longer in use it's not something your child would see while they are out and about however my boys were familiar with them from before as it is not that long ago that these buses were in use.

I found it quite a realistic copy, rather than being a babyish or cartoony type of bus (compared to others like the happyland bus or the vtech phonics bus) it is made to look a lot more like the real thing, with a bus number and destination on the front and lots of small details.

It is about 30cm long and 7 or 8cm wide, roughly.. basically a long and thin shape with a bendy section in the middle made of a type of rubber. The rest of bus is made of plastic, but not a very thick plastic it seems a little bit brittle. This brings me to my next point that the bus is not particularly strong or robust to handle rough play from small children. I think realistically it would survive better if you stick to the recommendation of 3+ but even then if it is accidentally dropped or used heavily, I am still not sure how long it would last.

Our bus lasted 6 months before it fully snapped in half at the bendy section, and had to go in the bin. Before that it had lost a couple of the glass window panes here and there, but still remained totally useable. However it was being used very heavily by my 2 year old pretty much every day so I suppose we got the use out of it. But don't buy it expecting it to last for years or be handed down to younger siblings as it does not seem to be made to that standard.

It is currently half price in the early learning centre, making it 6 pounds down from 12 pounds - for that price I would say it is worth it as it is a very good offer so I may treat my boy to a replacement as I'm sure he would be very happy to see it again!

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Product Details

Fuel their imagination with the City Service Bendy Bus. Use the bus to drive around our city playmats or Carry Along City (available separately)Roll the wheel to open and shut the doors and pull the bus back to watch it speed off. Use the bus to drive passengers to their destination.Not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts. Age range: From 3 years.